1998 Volvo S70 basic review from North America
"Solid, comfortable, safe; a little finicky and also pricy to fix"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
- A/C has some regulatory problem, cuts out after
maybe 30 minutes of working.
- Rear brake caliper was seized.
- Driver's leather seat is getting pretty worn,
but it's 9 years old and has 156,000 miles.
- Passenger front window very slow.
- Throttle stuck wide open - 8000rpms! wow! was
a minor problem to fix, but could have been fatal.
- New ball joints/front A-arms at 140,000 miles.
- Reputation of the car is that they will go 300,000 if well maintained, and I believe it.
General comments?
- Overall I quite like the car.
- I upgraded the suspension using IPD swaybars and Koni sport shocks - about $1100 installed, but highly recommended.
- Handling is very composed on cornering and braking, albeit stiff over New England potholes.
- Interior is very comfortable and has a quality feel, the leather seating and sound system both very nice.
- Car is reasonably quiet and feels very solid.
- Has excellent safety equipment for it's vintage.
- This is probably of interest to only a few, but I actually tow and launch my boat with this car,
which has a tow weight of about 2400lb. Volvo
fits these cars out standard with 4-wheel disk
brakes with ABS, engine oil cooler and transmission cooler, and rates them to 3300lb tow weight so long as you get trailer brakes on your trailer. Plus, I had already beefed up the swaybars and shocks from stock myself for handling, which is also beneficial for towing.
If you have a small boat, this is fantastic! I plan to still get some overload springs for the rear though, as it does sit a little low with the boat on it. It's not an ideal tow vehicle, but is perfectly serviceable for modest towing with minor adaptations and due caution. Many mid-sized SUVs can't even do this.
Recommended reviews
| Worst car in terms of reliability I have ever owned |
|
| Adequate performance, but too high-maintenance |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1998 |
| Year of manufacture | 1998 |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Engine and transmission | Inline 5 cylinder, Non-turbo Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 5 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 3 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 75000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 156000 miles |
| Previous car | Honda Civic |
| Date of Entry | 16th November, 2007 |